The problem with these charges Swartz is that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), written in 1986, is now archaic, vague and allows for punishment disproportionate to the crime committed.

The zeal with which the Secret Service and FBI investigated Swartz shows that they wanted to make an example of the 26-year-old. They wanted him to serve as a warning for other internet activists.

U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) called Swartz’s download “an act of civil disobedience,” as he was known for protesting the commercialization of academic and public documents.

The FBI had also been interested in Swartz since 2008 after he circumvented an online fee to download public court documents. Swartz’s actions were not illegal, but they still caught the FBI’s attention. Following Swartz’s foray with Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), the FBI attempted to surveil his house and began monitoring his actions.

Congress needs to make serious revisions to the laws against computer hacking so that simple protesters are not treated like felons.